Category: Single Servings

Meals for Single Executives and Professional People that save time and are rich in nutrients and flavour.

Dragon’s loyalty award

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Thank you to powerwearathletics.wordpress.com for nominating me for this award. Healthy eating was first on their list and enjoy our dedication to nutritional meals!

We are a foodie tribe! I have learned so much and I know I will continue to discover great ideas and great recipes for my blog family! 🙂 ❤️‍🔥

In Admiration..

The timing could not have been better when I came across a great recipe at ..Dorthy’s Vintage Kitchen..a recipe using chopped rutabaga. I had already copped the vegetable the day before – hoping for a new recipe. Voila! Dorthy to the rescue!

I admire people posting their passions. Cindy Knoke, is one of them ~ a talented photographer and an active conservationalist. Thanks Cindy for your great photo skills. Truly appreciated!

GabbyChops https://naturetails.blog/ really has chops when it comes to story telling and facts about familiar authors and their real lives. Photos I have never seen anywhere before. Gabby Chops has a knack for filling in the empty holes of famous people I never knew existed. A definite PHD caliber.

The rules:

  • Put the logo on your post
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you
  • Write 5 facts about yourself
  • Nominate 5-10 bloggers

5 Facts About Me

  1. I play online games to relax while I watch..or listen to a TV program.
  2. Exercise to “Abdooer” a 12 minute workout.
  3. My 2 cute cats get my attention every day ~ otherwise I hear about it. MEOW!
  4. Interested in HEALTH: nutrition, healing foods and building the immune system.
  5. Last but not least; I hope mankind finds a better path to rally people that are striving for progress in good living and good food. We need to help others along the way promoting good life styles. Reduce the need for processed foods is my personal “pet peeve.“

5 Nominations +plus 5 more

Some blogger friends do not want to be nominated for any awards. I respect that. I always go and see what’s happening in other corners of the world. A big thank you to all in the blog world. You are appreciated!

(1) Gabby Chops:- https://naturetails.blog/ You must read her blog. Joanna’s knowledge is refreshing and makes a very good read!

(2) America On Coffee has great music selections. Great songs I have not heard before and classics that are good to hear again. So relaxing. I always enjoy visiting AOL. I’ll drink my coffee and listen to good music at the same time! Artists stories are good.

(3) Ronit [ Ronitpenso ] has a wealth of food prep information. I enjoy reading when Ronit compliments me on something I made. I always look forward to her comments. As a caterer in NYC makes Ronit a very busy lady.

(4) PhotoFinland Rantasalot Finland reflects changing seasons. This last photo was snapped from a mobile phone. Really good!

(5) I really like Dorthy’s knowledge and cooking skills vintagekitchen.org Great recipes too!

(6) I have to give a shout out to my new found blog: Beach House located in Hawaii. A small private sanctuary for a few animals and birds. Check it out.

I reread the rules. I can add another more great bloggers. Beach house announced they are closing their blog some time this year; 2024. They will be missed!

4 More ..Favorite Bloggers

(7) Love and Lemons https://www.loveandlemons.com/ A good source of good food!

(8) Alyssia’s Healthy Blog https://alyssafontaine.com/blog/ A bit high end. Very extensive website. “Not just a blog!”

(9)Nutrition Blog https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/

(10) Dr. Gundry’s blog. A bit of a commercial edge. You need to give up your email address to read his blog. But, its worth it. Ignore the sales/marketing pitch! https://drgundry.com/blog/

There are so many others I admire very much in the culinary world and all their adventures around the world!. Unfortunately my list has been cut off prematurely!! But, cheers to all of you great bloggers!

A BIG THANK YOU to dedicated foodie bloggers. It’s great to share recipes, food ideas with all of you dedicated to a good life. WE KNOW FOOD IS MEDICINE. Lets avoid starch and sugar. Don’t fall in the steps of killing food chemicals as best as you can! It’s not a perfect world. Make a difference in your own life. It all helps, more then you think.

Fasting: Is Fasting Good For You?

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Energy 🔥 Feed Your Brain

FASTING – The Body Repairs.

After holiday feasting..try fasting! I found out that some of my friends knew so little about fasting, it was time to explain it in layman’s terms. What it really means to you and your body.

Fasting really starts after approximately 18 hours when your body begins the ketosis process. Then, fasting forces the brain to feed on body fats. This is called AUTOPHAGY: SELF or auto EATING phagy. Long fasts is proven as an optimal way of healing the body. Autophagy phase lasts longer* the longer you fast. You get energized during your fast and a bit of euphoria kicks in after some time. Your body and brain begin to feel good. Things smell better. Your kidneys and organs are working better. People who get sick, tired and nauseous during a fast sometimes shows that the body was really polluted BEFORE the fast began. (some exceptional cases of course). They should look closer to their diet and not blame the fast for their malcontent. Before a fast, the individual should go into it with a smart attitude and preparation. Preparation is choosing good foods, stop snaking and be mindful of what you are putting in your mouth. Preparing yourself mentally is most important.

Nobel Prize Winner ~ 2016 ~ Regarding Autophagy

Yoshinori Ohsumi is a Japanese cell biologist specializing in autophagy, the process that cells use to destroy and recycle cellular components. published by wikipedia

Yoshinori Ohsumi’s Nobel Prize was specifically for Mechanisms of Autophagy: From Basic Yeast Biology to Therapeutic Potential. Autophagy has been researched and penned since about 1963 as advancements were being developed from time to time. People were learning more and more about it.

Fasting ~ A Clean Burn 🔥

The fat burn begins as Ketosis sets in. [Stage one]. Ketosis may start in 18 hours or 2 days. It depends on how much you weigh and you metabolism. How do you know when you are in ketosis? You need to perform a litmus test to determine if you are in ketosis. These stick tests are sold online and at Wallmart. Ketosis burns fat in your body like a clean, gas flame. Short 12-18 hour fasts may not prove as efficient as a 24 -to -36 hour fast session. When we are ingesting carbs (bread, pasta) and sugar (danish pastry) and fats (rib eye steak) , the body uses the incoming fuel, primarily the brain burns glucose. The body burns glucose like an old coal stack emitting black smoke. Think of black, cloudy smoke in your body. Your brain is not happy. It does not like this contamination to the brain. FASTING: Now that our body is starving, the liver releases its stored glycogen into glucose to feed the brain. The brain is still hungry. The brain starts to eat ketones found in your stored fatty tissues as a fuel instead of the usual ‘incoming’ glucose. Exercise also burns both glucose and ketones. Remember, the ape man never ate sugar. He survived well. Sugar kills.

Autophagy – Build A Smarter Brain

YOU REALLY want to get into this phase.

Autophagy is the second stage in fasting. Its prime function is to break down old inefficient cells and build new, beautiful cells. Autophagy can help the immune system by cleaning up toxins and infectious agents. The main function of autophagy is to help maintain normal functioning (homeostasis) in the cells. Your body begins to create new health cells and build stem cells. And, at the same time, old, damaged cells are being eliminated from the body.

AUTOPHAGY

AUTOPHAGY Process During A FAST << Left ~ ~ Right >> ORGANELLE cell

FASTING Builds New Cells

Aging and cell death are synonymous. Broken cells are removed from the body. New organelles (mitochondria) are created by the body’s natural process as damaged organelles are disposed. Fasting allows the construction of new cells. Fasting builds good cells throughout your body at the same time as it eliminate broken cells. You may even start looking younger*! As you fast away your belly fat, you will not get saggy skin. No surgery to remove flappy skin for fasting patients that have lost a lot of weight; according to Dr. Jason Fung, M.D. Canadian nephrologist. Fasting carries those dead skin cells away. Losing weight without fasting can give you saggy arms (aka: saggy skin). I have slight bat wings. But no saggy, floppy skin. or anywhere else. You will see the neck tighten as the skin recedes as a result of fasting!

You will always feed your brain with incoming food (glucose). Bad food like processed food is toxic and contaminated. We need to remind ourselves from time to time. However, we do not always act on our best decisions. Ice cream ~ for instance. I can not bypass this luxury. Or – butter. But, we can balance our lives. We can stop a lot of processed foods. I have no problem with that. I slip from time to time. Don’t punish yourself. You just get back up! One day, I may not even see ice cream I may forget all about it. TOO Sweet! Yuck!

Fasting For Cancer Patients

Doctors are talking about prescribing a 3 day fast before starting chemo or radiation treatment. It’s in trials. And, dare I say will be mandatory at some point. This will happen sooner then you think. It will hinge on positive outcomes.

What is ketosis?

Ketosis is the accumulation of ketone bodies or ketones in the blood. Ketosis occurs in healthy people during fasting and during strenuous exercise. In excess, blood ketones can produce a toxic level of acid in the blood, referred to as ketoacidosis.

NOTE: A currently popular diet known as the ketogenic diet, in which 75% of the daily calories come from fat, is believed to induce ketosis and autophagy. There are insufficient studies on the long-term effects of the ketogenic diet.

Russel Wilder

Russel Wilder first used the ketogenic diet to treat epilepsy in 1921. He also coined the term “ketogenic diet.” For almost a decade, the ketogenic diet enjoyed a place in the medical world as a therapeutic diet for pediatric epilepsy and was widely used until its popularity ceased with the introduction of antiepileptic agents. The resurgence of the ketogenic diet as a rapid weight loss formula is a relatively new concept the has shown to be quite effective, at least in the short run. published by wikipedia.com

My understanding is how influential food is to support medical treatment. Even better, as a prevention before anything alarming happens.

* In general: a lot of fructose(sugar) consumption ages you. Eat in moderation.

  • Mitophagy is a subset of autophagy.
  • is the dispersement and building of Mitochondria mitochondria and the building of new mitrochondria found in the organelles cell.
  • ondria.

SUGAR WILL AGE YOU!!!!

Almond Pear Tart ~in 10 minutes

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Pears are so good. We had almond pear tart yesterday afternoon. A friend came over for coffee. It was a good excuse to make this tart that gets 0-O-O-H’S and A-H-H-H-S! I have modified the recipe from what I used to make it. I hope you like it.

Almond Pear Tart Recipe

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

 Ingredients
▢ 6 pears
▢ 4 eggs
▢ Himalayan salt - a pinch (any salt is good)
▢ 200g (1 cup) ground almonds 
▢ 50g (¼ cup) Monk fruit (any sugar replacement will do)
▢ 12g (1 tbsp) grated fresh ginger
▢ 5g (1 tsp) almond extract 
Instructions
Step 1 First, preheat the oven to 177°C/350°F. 
Step 2 Butter a 9 inch ring mold or removable bottom tart shell. 
Step 3 Peel, half and core pears 
Step 4 Toast the ground almonds lightly  for 10 minutes on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment. Let this cool slightly. 
Step 5 In a blender  (or food processor)mix almonds, eggs, sugar substitute, almond extract, grated ginger and a pinch salt 
Step 6 Place pear halves in the ring mold and pour batter into pan and spread evenly.
Step 7 Rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving 
Sprinkle with toasted almonds (optional). 
Serve warm.


DID YOU KNOW: Pears along with peaches, raspberries, almonds and strawberries are a member of the rose (Rosaceae) family of plants. High fiber pears help protect us from the development of —> (i)type 2 diabetes, (ii) heart disease and (iii)stomach cancer. Pears are linked to prevention of osteoporosis since Boron (in pears) aides in retaining calcium in your bones. 

When you need an energy boost, have a pear or a slice of “Pear Almond Tart” instead of a candy bar. It works. We had leftover pear tart for lunch today. SWE-E-ET!!!

COMMENT: ” I could taste the fresh ginger. Yum! It really makes the flavour. The cake tasted so good! I loved the pears!”

~ Another happy friend who tasted my pear tart for the first time in her life ~

Blueberry CRISP ~ New and Improved!

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Blueberries are at the top of the nutritional food chain. I have them in my fridge all the time: fresh or frozen. Always GOOD!

Blueberry Crisp

  • Servings: 8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

INGREDIENTS
FILLING:
4 cups Blueberries (plus other fruit -optional)
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Gluten Free Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Truvía® Brown Sugar Blend ~or~
⅓ cup Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash for sweetness
TOPPING:
1 heaping cup Almond Flour
¼ cup(60 mL) Truvía® Brown Sugar Blend
1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder (or grated stick)
¼ teaspoon Fresh Ginger -Grated
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg -Grated
¼ teaspoon Cardamon – 2 to 3 cardamon pods -ground
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter (cold and cubed)
Optional: ⅓ cup Walnuts, Pecans -or mixed nuts (chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the blueberry filling. Mix together your fresh (or frozen!) blueberries and other fruit with lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, truvia or sweet potato (or squash) in a medium bowl.
2. Divide your blueberry mixture to buttered ramekins and set it aside while you make the KETO crisp topping.
3. In another medium bowl, combine the almond flour, baking powder, chopped nuts, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, sugar substitute, cardamon and Kosher salt.
4. Cut the cold butter into smaller pieces and add it to the dry ingredients mixture and blend into a crumb-like texture.
5. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the blueberry mixture, cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes then remove the foil and bake for about another 10 minutes -until the topping is golden brown. Optional: mix ½ cup gluten free oats to the topping.

TOPPING (Additional)
Add a dollop of Greek Yogurt and garnish with lemon or chocolate mint.
310 cal. per serving Prep: 15 min. Bake: 40-50 min.

TIP: Pile Blueberries as high as you can. The blueberries will cook down. Remember, as fruit cooks -they get sweeter and sweeter -without added sugar!

Mix and Match!

⅓ Blueberries + ⅓ peach, apricot or apples + ⅓ butternut squash -or- ⅓ sweet potatoes, You can mix and match for your filling. Rhubarb pairs well with blueberries. I do not add any sugar in my filling. The sweet potato or butternut squash is my “go to” sugar substitute (If needed).

Blueberries are sweet and slightly tangy. They pair well with a sweet, crunchy topping. Don’t forget the salt. Kosher Salt is an important flavour enhancer!

Alton Brown’s TIP – Good Eats (Food Network) ..see below…

GLYCEMIC INDEX

The GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose (a simple sugar) arbitrarily given the value of 100. Glycemic Index ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels.

G.I – Ice Cream vs Yogurt Topping

Many desserts have an added dollop of ice cream or whip cream. Let’s make it better!
Remember, the GI index for ice cream is 88. and the GI index for GREEK yogurt is: 11. Add “full fat” Greek yogurt instead of whip cream to your dessert. Note: GI under 55 is considered as a low GI. Y

What is the best yogurt to buy: (i) no-fat, (ii) 2%, or (iii) whole fat? Full fat – Greek style yogurt – is the right answer. It has the least amount of carbs. The carbs in Greek yogurt is very LOW. Doctors agree that a low fat or 2% yogurt is not the healthiest choice. Full Fat – Greek Yogurt Is your “Best Choice”!

Thick, Creamy Greek Yogurt GI: 11 With Blueberry Crisp!
Blueberries GI: 53 Apples GI:38 (Diabetic Protection)
GI INDEX Is A Most Important And Valuable Guide to Controlling Your Insulin Level
Good Living With Healthy Choices

SO-O-O GO-O-OD!

A MEMORY FROM CHILDHOOD

I am cutting down on cane sugar. Blueberry crisp can be enhanced with cardamom, lemon and ginger. Sweet potato is a good cane sugar substitute – if you want more sweetness.

EXTRA NEWS ~About Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes are known to be beneficial to individuals with type 2 diabetes due to the high levels of magnesium and fiber, which helps in reducing insulin resistance and stabilizes blood sugar. Sweet potatoes do have a large level of carbohydrates. But, they generally have a low glycemic index:

Butternut squash GI 52
Sweet Potato GI:61

Orange Sweet Potato (most common), Red Jamaican (white inside) and Japanese Sweet Potato: (red inside).

ALTON BROWN suggests to add crackers, breakfast oatmeal packets, crumbled plain or cinnamon bread to the blueberry crisp. Before baking, mix half your mixture with the blueberries. The other half is the topping! Kind of like mock bread pudding with fruit. Alton you’re so creative!